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When you enter a Chinese Opera theater in Taipei, the first thing you will notice is a brilliant, lavishly embroidered hanging. Performers will then stride on stage to the sound of strings and woodwinds, or to the clanging of gongs and drums.
First may be a handsome, sturdy young man in warrior garb, somersaulting across stage and displaying his martial skills. Next may follow a young woman veiled by strings of pearls and dressed in silk brocade, singing in a gentle, feminine voice and performing a billowing dance. Then there is the famous Monkey King Sun Wu-k'ung, of the opera journey to the West, with his twitching, scratching, and mischievous simian antics. These characters are all representative of China's traditional National Opera, or Peking Opera.
Opera viewing has long been a popular entertainment enjoyed by both the common people as well as China's royalty and aristocracy. Libretto and musical score writing attracted the participation of literati and the gentry. The T'ang Dynasty Emperor Ming Huang (712-755 A.D., also known as Hsuan Tsung) and Emperor Chuang Tsung (923-925 A.D.) of the Later T'ang are considered the "honorary fathers of Chinese Opera" for their enthusiastic support of the art. Their main claim to this title was their technical knowledge of music. Emperor Hsuan Tsung founded the Pear Garden Academy, a music and dance performing troupe within the court. In later times, opera singing was referred to as the "pear garden profession," and opera performers as "pear garden brothers."
Librettos for Peking operas feature both tragic and comic elements, interspersed with singing, dancing, and poetic narration, to dramatize historical events and popular legends. Another style of performance is dialog rendered in language close to everyday speech, and pantomime executed with ordinary gestures. Heartwarming humor reflects and satirizes society, while being educational and entertaining.
The character roles of Peking Opera are distinguished on the basis of sex, age, and personality. The four main character types are the sheng, tan, ching, and ch'ou.When you enter a Chinese Opera theater in Taipei, the first thing you will notice is a brilliant, lavishly embroidered hanging. Performers will then stride on stage to the sound of strings and woodwinds, or to the clanging of gongs and drums.
First may be a handsome, sturdy young man in warrior garb, somersaulting across stage and displaying his martial skills. Next may follow a young woman veiled by strings of pearls and dressed in silk brocade, singing in a gentle, feminine voice and performing a billowing dance. Then there is the famous Monkey King Sun Wu-k'ung, of the opera journey to the West, with his twitching, scratching, and mischievous simian antics. These characters are all representative of China's traditional National Opera, or Peking Opera.
Opera viewing has long been a popular entertainment enjoyed by both the common people as well as China's royalty and aristocracy. Libretto and musical score writing attracted the participation of literati and the gentry. The T'ang Dynasty Emperor Ming Huang (712-755 A.D., also known as Hsuan Tsung) and Emperor Chuang Tsung (923-925 A.D.) of the Later T'ang are considered the "honorary fathers of Chinese Opera" for their enthusiastic support of the art. Their main claim to this title was their technical knowledge of music. Emperor Hsuan Tsung founded the Pear Garden Academy, a music and dance performing troupe within the court. In later times, opera singing was referred to as the "pear garden profession," and opera performers as "pear garden brothers."
Librettos for Peking operas feature both tragic and comic elements, interspersed with singing, dancing, and poetic narration, to dramatize historical events and popular legends. Another style of performance is dialog rendered in language close to everyday speech, and pantomime executed with ordinary gestures. Heartwarming humor reflects and satirizes society, while being educational and entertaining.
The character roles of Peking Opera are distinguished on the basis of sex, age, and personality. The four main character types are the sheng, tan, ching, and ch'ou.
The costumes worn in Chinese Opera performances are broadly based on the dress current in China about four centuries ago, during the Ming Dynasty. Exaggerated flowing sleeves, pennants worn on the backs of military officers, and pheasant feathers used in headwear were added to heighten the dramatic effect of the stage choreography. These extra touches bring out the various levels of gestures and the rhythm of the movement. Like facial make-up, Chinese Opera costumes tell much about the character wearing them, while also being aesthetically appealing. In the past, Chinese Opera singers would rather wear a worn and torn costume than one that did not correctly represent the character he was portraying.
Chinese Opera was originally performed against only a backdrop, with the other three sides open. The set is extremely simple. It includes a table, which might stand in for a desk, an official's table, or even a hill or bridge. Spatial transitions from one place to another are smooth and economic.

The costumes worn in Chinese Opera performances are broadly based on the dress current in China about four centuries ago, during the Ming Dynasty. Exaggerated flowing sleeves, pennants worn on the backs of military officers, and pheasant feathers used in headwear were added to heighten the dramatic effect of the stage choreography. These extra touches bring out the various levels of gestures and the rhythm of the movement. Like facial make-up, Chinese Opera costumes tell much about the character wearing them, while also being aesthetically appealing. In the past, Chinese Opera singers would rather wear a worn and torn costume than one that did not correctly represent the character he was portraying.
Chinese Opera was originally performed against only a backdrop, with the other three sides open. The set is extremely simple. It includes a table, which might stand in for a desk, an official's table, or even a hill or bridge. Spatial transitions from one place to another are smooth and economic.


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